HI308 History of the Book
THis course provides a survey of the book from late antiquity to the present, with an emphasis on the development of the book in the West. The cultural history of the book will be explored a both material object and text. This course involves some practical (hands-on) experience with material from BAC's rare book collectin as well as the instructor's personal collection. Major themes include the techniques of book production, authorship, popular and learned readership, libraries and censorship, and a consideration for how the history of the book as a material object and as an agent of intellectual and social change helps us to understand the digitial revolution. This course will expand your thinking about the essential role of hte book in history.